Democrat Stephen Webber announced Thursday he will be running for State Senate in the 2016 election. A former Marine, Webber is currently on his second term as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives.
“I want to make sure we are making the necessary investment in people and education to make sure we are a leader in the 21st century economy,” Webber said. “And if we do the smart things like investing in good control of education so kids growing up in central Missouri have the same opportunities I had when I was growing up.”
Republican Kurt Schaefer is currently the Senator in the 19th District, but he has already announced plans to run for Attorney General. The election to replace Schaefer is 18 months away, and no Republicans have announced their interest in running.
“We have some great people, Republicans in Boone County and just outside of Boone County who fall in that 19th district that may run,” said Columbia Pachyderm President Fred Berry.
If Webber were to get elected, he would be cutting into the current veto-proof majority held by the Republican Party in the Senate.